Dear friends, I am from South India and have completed my MA in English Literature. I have four years experience in teaching Technical and communication English in an Engineering college in India. I wish to take up a teaching job in any university in Europe or Australia. What are my prospects? Pl tell me what should I do furthur to increase my prospects?

If you want to teach in Oz, why not go through the immigration process? Then you're entitled to live and work there, although whether you would find a job is important to investigate prior. It's fairly open--NZ is even more open.

Renuka (if you're still coming back to read this) and just about anyone else looking for work in France:

Unless you are applying to foreign universities who have operations in France (in which case you should apply directly to the university in its home country), the prospect of finding a teaching job from outside France is next to nil. I would estimate that 95% of the English-teaching jobs in France are only secured by being here, AND pretty much only if you have a European passport or you're married to a "local".

So, the decision is whether or not you are willing to "take the plunge" and find out for yourself by moving here. If you're a skilled teacher, good communicator (French is helpful but not always essential), versatile, resourceful, patient, etc., there will be lots of opportunities for you in France. If you don't have the confidence to work under these circumstances (i.e. self-employment) then look toward Asia where full time work can be lined up in advance of going there (and where work visas will be easier to come by). Good luck all.

Australia might have a fairly open immigration policy but never to TESOL professionals.

Renuka, what's your publication record like? And what are your research interests? Publications and teaching experience are important for getting a faculty appointment in Literature departments. For teaching positions in university ESL centres, you'd need a Masters level qualification in TESOL and some experience.

Elt & NMB, it looks like Oz has enough ESOL teachers and university lecturers for a while, and have temporarily closed the doors for those professions. Other professions have more open doors, but alas that's not for most of us reading this.

Go2guy, I'd be surprised if Renuka could get a job as an English teacher without a passport from an English-speaking country in Europe or Asia. Throughout most of Asia the standard is to have that kind of passport and a bachelor's degree for the entry-level positions at private language schools. In Europe it's that, plus an EU passport; and in some high unemployment countries it's starting to look like you'd need a unicorn hair and a letter from the Pope to get a job. My general impression is immigration to Oz is much easier than to the EU at this point.

Renuka, to be honest be prepared for some racial discrimination in Asia in particular. It's not right, but it wouldn't be forthcoming to not reveal it's presence. A few days ago some idiot called me about private classes, and I referred him to a Canadian friend who speaks beautiful Chinese. He asked if she was ethnically Chinese, because he wanted a white person. I rang off after a few words. She's not, but that discrimination exists. If it's hard for a a Canadian-Chinese to get work in Taiwan, then it would be hard for an Indian with an Indian passport to get work in English teaching too. I hear regularly about Fillipino-Americans having a hard time getting work in Taiwan, because here Fillipinas are hired as household help. I honestly think you are in for a major challenge because your passport is not from the select few countries, and racial discrimination woudl work against you if you have Indian heritage. Are you a native speaker of English? That would also be a factor.

I do know English-speaking Chinese young women with Indian passports who are college students in Taiwan, and work at a local Indian restaurant. There is also a presence of carpet dealers from India-Pakistan here, and many Indian women married to Taiwanese husbands. It's not France or Oz by any means, but this is just an idea of the local conditions if you were expanding your horizons to include East Asia. Please note that the spouses aren't able to work in Taiwan for years after marriage. It's a disgusting rule, but present nonetheless.

I don't mean this to be discouraging. I just want you to be equipped for the challenges out there. If you went most anywhere with financial resources, ability, a good attitude, and determination you could find work eventually. Do your homework, and don't go to places with difficult work permission projects, rules that apply against your passport, and high unemployment rates. That's asking for trouble.

What about looking at getting a doctorate in another country? Frequently you'd get permission to work limited hours too.